Last week I found and hired a babysitter for the first time in my life.
Because my sister watches the boys when I work, and my mom fills in sometimes when Katy isn't available, I pretty much always feel tapped out when it comes to babysitters.
I have a few mom friends in the ward that I could call in a pinch, but in the evening at bedtime? I decided to bite the bullet and hire a real live babysitter.
I picked up Heidi and she was sweet and kind and awesome. The boys liked her and Josh said that everything was great when he got home. She told me she really likes babysitting (but does that mean it's true?) and she was excited I called.
But I gotta know - how much do you pay a babysitter in 2013? She didn't know (I wouldn't have given a price at 15 years old either) and just said "whatever people pay". So I'm curious - what's normal? I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Who never do anything wrong. (Except when Tommy pooped on the bathroom scale because it was the middle of the night and he was still half asleep and he thought he just had to pee - so he was standing. Also except when Little John climbs into the full-of-water bathtub fully clothed. Also except when they both want the same toy.... Whatever, they're perfect and wonderful and they both love Blue's Clues. Babysitter's dream.)
I'm calling the whole thing wildly successful - and hoping we get to do it again for something more fun than just an hour and a half between when my meeting starts and Josh get home from work.
Currently accepting really great ideas. Except sky diving. That will not be considered on account of I'm a chicken.
We pay 5 an hour for Aiden but will probably keep it the same or raise it to six when we have two. Let's do a double date sometime! We have some gift cards and stuff we can use. Also, you can always call me to babysit if you really don't wanna pay. Maybe a SLC date and I'll be right on your way. :)
ReplyDeleteI pay $5/hr The neighborhood I live in has a Facebook group and I asked there what others pay (because being the lowest paying person in the neighborhood is bad). Standard for my neighborhood was $1-$2 per child per hour. I always round up though.
ReplyDeleteI also do $3-5 per hour for two kids.
ReplyDeleteOver here the going rate is about $2 per kid, per hour.
ReplyDeleteIn relation to finding a babysitter, Babysitters result from various backdrops.It is essential that you be at ease with ones babysitter's way of childcare.
ReplyDeleteWe paid $3 an hour to an adult for our daycare type stuff. She was totally happy with that FYI. We have never hired a real live (aka teenager) babysitter though. I assumed we would pay the same and up it to $5/hr for two kids.
ReplyDeleteAs for date ideas we are kinds stuck. Pretty much if we eat it was a date. We basically only deem it worth getting a babysitter to go to the temple and do awesome stuff like go to meetings that are mandatory for both of us. Sometime we are going to have a island night date at home though. We can sit around on towels with the heat up and a waves CD playinng and eat pineapple and macadamia nut chocolates that somebody else bought us on their real Hawaiian vacation.
Finding a baby sitter is a difficult job for parents but lets make it simple with the best child care system solutions and make those kids happy.
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